SHADOWS OF THE BEATLES

Born in post-war Yorkshire, Gary Morrison grew up with transistor radios, steam trains, and a heart tuned to music. A boyhood steeped in The Beatles and family mysteries eventually led to a life of songwriting, storytelling, and transatlantic dreaming. Gary taught himself guitar on a Woolworths special and began writing songs in the shadow of Sgt. Pepper. His journey from a South Yorkshire attic to the heart of America is both the literal and lyrical thread running through this memoir. He now records, writes, and lives creatively with the woman whose voice changed everything.

Valerie was born in 1961 in Chicago in a vibrant Polish-American household where musicals, jazz records, and secrets shaped her inner world. A gifted artist and natural storyteller, she grew up torn between America’s Polish suburbs and the shadowy hints of her father’s Cold War past. From creating childhood comics to discovering The Beatles at thirteen, her imagination has always been her compass. A passionate writer and co-creator of the Valgary music project, Val’s voice brings a transatlantic magic to their shared story. She lives to write, draw, and harmonize with her soulmate.